Current collector



y 11950 B. F. LANGER 2,508,176

CURRENT COLLECTOR Filed Dec. 12, 1945 l@ ii if INVENTOR fierzzardf'l an; 6%

WITNESSES:

Patented May 16, 1950 CURRENT COLLECTOR Bernard F. Langer, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,547

4 Claims.

My invention relates, generally, to current collectors and it has reference, in particular, to current collectors of the pantograph type.

Generally stated, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved current collector which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is efficient in operation.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide for mounting a shoe on a current collector of the pantograph type with an effective center of rotation above the contact surface of the shoe.

Another object of my invention is to provide for mounting a current collector shoe by means of a closed pivotal link structure.

It is also an object of my invention to provide for improving the operating characteristics of shoes on current collectors of the pantograph type.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide for reducing the stubbing action of shoes on currentcollectors of the pantograph type.

An important object of my invention is to provide for reducing the aerodynamic lift of current collector shoes.

A further object of my invention is to provide for pivotally mounting current collector shoes on a trapezoidal link pivot support having an effective pivot point above the contact surface of the shoe with a trolley conductor.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, be explained hereinafter.

In accordance with one embodiment of my invention, a current collector shoe may be pivotally mounted on supports of a pantograph structure by means of pairs of pivotal link members connected to the supports and to the shoe adjacent each end thereof and inclined upwardly and inwardly toward each other so as to produce an effective center of rotation of the shoe relative to the supports which is above the contact surface of the shoe with the trolley conductor. The link members are enclosed by a cover secured about the lower side of the shoe to provide a symmetrical section for reducing the aerodynamic lift of the shoe.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of my invention, reference may be made to the following detailed description which may be studied in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

I Figure .1 is a front elevational view of a current collector shoe of the type now extensively used;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of a current collector of the pantograph type illustrating the invention in one of its forms;

and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial and elevational view of a current collector similar to that of Fig. 2, showing a modification of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the reference numeral it may denote, generally, an elongated channelshaped current collector shoe of a type now commonly used with current collectors of the pantograph type. The current collector shoe l0 may be supported on a pantograph structure (not shown) by means of support levers l2 which may be pivotally connected to the shoe by means of pins [3. With such a shoe, the frictional drag of the conductor tends to rotate the leading edge of the shoe against the conductor to produce a stubbing action. Aerodynamic lift causes the channel section to raise the conductor, thus increasing the stresses therein.

Referring to Fig. 2, the reference numeral l4 may denote, generally, a current collector of the pantograph type having shoes 15 of a type generally similar to that shown in Fig. l, and which are disposed to be supported on a pantograph structure It for engaging a trolley conductor :3. The shoes I 5 may be mounted on the pantograph structure l6 by means of support levers is which may be pivotally connected by pins I 8 to a support member zllwith springs 2| around the pins tohold the lever and shoe assembly up in the correct operating position. The support member 20 is connected to the pantograph structure [6 by means of pins 22 which may be movgbly positioned in slots 23 in the support mem- In order to provide for pivotally connecting the shoes l5 to the support levers l9, means such as the link members 25 may be provided. The link members '25 may be pivotally connected to the shoes l5 adjacent each endlthereofiat predetermined'points spaced in the longitudinal direction of the trolley conductor I! by means of pins 21. The other ends of the link members may be pivotally connected 'by pins 2'! to enlarged heads 28 on the support levers l9.

By spacing the points of connection of the link members 2:5 to the heads 28 further apart than the points of connection to the shoe IS, the link members 25 may provide in conjunction with the shoe l5 and heads 28, closed pivotal link structures in which the link members .25 are inclined inwardly toward each other to form a trapezoid. This arrangement provides an effective center of rotation for the shoe l5 which is at the intersection of axes drawn through the connecting pins 21 of the two link members, and which is positioned above the contact surface of the shoe I with the conductor [1.

Accordingly, frictional engagement of the shoe 15 with the conductor I! as the shoe moves from right to left, tends to rotate the shoe in a counterclockwise direction about the effective pivot point. This results in the leading edge of the shoe, which may be assumed to be the left hand edge for movement of the current collector from right to left, being moved away from instead of toward the conductor 11. stubbing action of the shoe is thus prevented, since the frictional force between the shoe and the conductor is reduced by such rotation of the shoe.

In order to further improve the operating characteristics of the shoe I5, means such as the cover 30 may be provided. The cover may comprise a substantially channel-shaped member having a central portion 32 extending between the depending edges of the shoe [5 and having openings 33 therein for receiving the support lever IS. The upstanding edge portions 36 of the cover may be secured to the depending edges of the shoe 15 in any suitable manner, and may be recessed in recesses 35 extending along the outer edges of the depending edge portions so as to provide a substantially symmetrical section for the shoe l5 having rounded edges which present a minimum of aerodynamic drag.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that a predetermined amount of resilience may be provided in connection with the link members 25 by utilizing means such as the springs 33 which may be operatively connected between the link members 25 and the head 23 of the support lever l9. By positioning the springs 38 about the support pins 21, the link members 25 may be resiliently biased inwardly toward each other so as to stabilize pivotal action of the shoe l5 relative to the support lever 19.

From the above description and the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided in a simpl and effective manner for improving the operating characteristics of current collector shoes such as used with current collectors of the pantograph type. By utilizing pivotal link members in the manner hereinbefore described, the current collector shoes may be provided with an effective center of rotaton sufficiently above the contact surface of the shoe to prevent stubbing of the shoe relative to the trolley conductor. Since the frictional drag between the shoe and the conductor is reduced by rotation of the leading edge of the shoe away from the conductor, dynamic operation of the current collector shoe is therefore greatly stabilized. By enclosing the lower side of the current collector shoe, the aerodynamic lift of the shoe is greatly reduced, so that lifting of the conductor 11 is minimized at relatively high speeds. Accordingly, the stresses in the trolle conductor are greatly reduced.

Since certain changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be considered as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A current collector comprising, an elongated sho disposed transversely of and having an upper surface to engage a conductor, a support adjacent each end of the shoe, a pair of levers pivotally connected to the shoe and to the support adjacent each end, said levers being spaced longitudinally of the conductors and inclined inwardly and upwardly to provide an effective pivot point beyond the point of engagement between the shoe and the conductor, and a cover secured to the shoe enclosing the levers and the lower side of the shoe, said cover having a lower surface substantiall symmetrical with the upper surface of the shoe.

2. A current collector comprising, an elongated shoe having an upper surface with rounded leading and trailing edge portions for engaging a conductor with depending flanges along the sides, support means including pairs of link members pivotally connected to the shoe on the lower side and to support means at predetermined spaced points to provide an effective pivot point on the conductor side of the upper surface, and a channel-shaped housing positioned on the lower side of the shoe having openings for the support means and upwardly projecting flanges secured to the depending flanges of the shoe, said housing having rounded leading and trailing edge portions to provide with the shoe a symmetrical transverse section.

3. A current collector comprising, a channelshaped shoe having a relatively flat continuous surface for engaging a conductor and depending front and rear flanges, a pair of upwardly and inwardly inclined link supports pivotally connected to the underside of the shoe between the flanges and to a support in spaced relation longitudinally of the conductor, and a channel-shaped cover secured to the underside of the shoe enclosing said link supports and providing a substantially symmetrical enclosed vertical cross-section.

4. A current collector comprising, a shoe having a contact surface for engaging a conductor,

, support means, and a pair of link members pivotally connecting the shoe and the support at predetermined points spaced in the longitudinal direction of the conductor, the points of connection on the support means being spaced further apart than the points on the shoe, and helical springs positioned at th points of connection of the link members and support means resiliently biasing the link members in opposite senses.

BERNARD F. LANGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,744,623 Tovaros Jan. 21, 1930 2,305,297 Leuchs Dec. 15, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,705 Holland Sept. 15, 1934 136,078 Austria Dec. 27, 1933 490,493 Germany Jan. 29, 1930 518,296 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1940 611,651 Germany Nov. 10, 1933 612,288 Germany Apr. 23, 1935 646,292 Germany June 11, 1937 

